IMAX CALLS DISPUTE WITH OWNERS A FAMILY DISPUTE

That blowback from exhibitors over the announcement that Imax plans to screen the sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon on the same day that it is offered by Netflix is more like a gentle wind, Imax chief Richard Gelfond suggested today (Thursday) during a conference call with analysts and reporters. "There’s been no real fallout between us and them," he said. "Think of it as a dispute within the family." Gelfond said that the deal with Netflix amounts to a test of the proposition that people who prefer to watch movies at home on weekends rarely, if ever, go to theaters on weekends. In any case, there’s not much to lose, he implied, noting that the test will occur next year in August, a month when ticket sales usually slump. "Our logic was, we were going to provide alternative content at a time of year when there wasn’t a lot of content. … If it doesn’t work, it won’t be part of a trend, but if it does work out we’ll probably offer the opportunity again."